Inside AnswerFirst: The IT Department

At AnswerFirst our management staff is split into four departments: Operations, Sales, Marketing and IT.  Each department is responsible for specific duties that are crucial to the success of the other departments and AnswerFirst, as a whole.  Through collaboration and focus these four departments are consistently successful at achieving our mission to provide the best customer service to our clients and our clients’ callers, in a timely fashion and as efficiently as possible.  This post is one of a few blog posts that are about the responsibilities of each of these four main departments and how they interact with each other to make AnswerFirst successful.  Introducing the AnswerFirst IT Department...

The goal of the IT Department is to ensure that all AnswerFirst staff and clients have access to the IT infrastructure, services and support that they require to accomplish their work efficiently and effectively.  The IT Department is responsible for maintaining the necessary IT infrastructure for all other departments, as well as supporting all business, e-business, decisions and project planning tools used at AnswerFirst.  AnswerFirst’s business model requires a reliable infrastructure; our call center is open 24/7/365 and downtime is unacceptable to us and our clients.  Therefore, the IT Department plays a crucial role in supporting our clients and our Operations Department via the implementation of a fully redundant infrastructure that is not only reliable but secure. Implementing back-up systems for back-up systems is common practice and testing fail over procedures is a major department focus.  Also, the IT Department must work closely with all departments for the purpose of refining all business processes through the use of technology; IT is constantly looking for ways to decrease costs by increasing efficiency and ROI, and boosting productivity of all departments within the corporation.  The IT Department is the backbone of AnswerFirst, providing reliable structure and solid support; without this department AnswerFirst can’t sustain or grow.

For more information about AnswerFirst's answering services and call center solutions, please visit our wesbite http://www.answerfirst.com or call us at 1-800-645-2616

Happy Thanksgiving from AnswerFirst!

AnswerFirst provides answering services and call center solutions to more than 1400 companies around the globe but what sets AnswerFirst apart from other services? Our call center is staffed with U.S. agents 24/7/365 and a manager onsite at all times so that our clients receive the same level of service that we provide their callers. We hope you enjoy this AnswerFirst Minute (by Vivienne Brown http://www.VivienneBrown.com) and ... 

Happy Thanksgiving from AnswerFirst!http://www.answerfirst.com 1-800-645-2616

Tips For Improving Customer Service

Providing excellent customer service should be a major priority for any business owner because happy customers are repeat customers. Here are a few basic tips that will help improve your customers' experiences with your business.

• Listen to your customers. This may seem like an obvious suggestion but so many business owners and managers get caught up in the day-to-day tasks of business management that they forget to pay attention to what their clients are saying.  In most instances, an unhappy customer will let you know that he or she is unhappy and a client that wants a product or service that you don't offer will say just that. Take these suggestions to heart.  Can you implement changes that meet your clients' needs?
• Do what you say you are going to do and do it on-time.  This is another obvious point.  Set your customers' expectations correctly and then deliver.  It doesn't matter if you sell widgets or repair cars, there is no easier way to upset clients then to not meet your commitments in a timely manner.  If you disappoint your clients, the only way they'll continue to use your services or products is if there are no alternative sources and, that's pretty unlikely in this day and age.  Honor your commitments on-time.
• Empower your employees.  Whether your employees have contact with your customers via phone or in-person, attitude makes a huge difference.  Disgruntled employees can make any customer service experience a complete disaster.  Make sure your employees are happy and give them the authority to make decisions on the fly. Set-up customer service guidelines and praise your employees when they make the right choices within the guidelines.  Happy employees will make sure that your customers are happy, too.
• Surprise your customers! Free gifts like a roll of Lifesaver candies in a shipment, "Thank You" cards, loyalty coupons or Holiday Cards help strengthen your relationships with your clients.  Invest some time and effort into making your clients feel appreciated.
• Get an answering service. Okay, you knew we had to lead into a shameless self-promotion at some point.  Seriously, though... an answering service can provide your clients excellent customer service when you or your employees aren't available to answer your phones.  You pay only when we answer your calls and know that when your phones are forwarded to us, your clients are getting the best customer service available.

Interested in more information about our affordable answering services??  Fill out our pricing packet request form and we'll send you information about our services asap.  Or, call us at 1-800-645-2616.

Answering Services for the Heating & Cooling Service Industries

AnswerFirst Winter Mailer 2011 Front, a photo by AnswerFirst on Flickr.

43% of callers will not leave a message in a voice mail ... don't miss another opportunity!!

• We have over 20 years of experience providing answering services for the heating & cooling service industries.
• Free 24-hour secure web access to all of your critical account data.
• Answering service solutions that fit your needs and your budget.
• Automatic discounts for high volume months.
• Pay only for what you use.

Call today and get started for just $20!!
1-800-645-2616
http://www.answerfirst.com

Inside AnswerFirst : The Operations Department

At AnswerFirst our management staff is split into four departments: Operations, Sales, Marketing and IT.  Each department is responsible for specific duties that are crucial to the success of the other departments and AnswerFirst, as a whole.  Through collaboration and focus these four departments are consistently successful at achieving our mission to provide the best customer service to our clients and our clients’ callers, in a timely fashion and as efficiently as possible. Our next few blog posts are going to be about the responsibilities of each of these four main departments and how they interact with each other to make AnswerFirst successful.
Our Operations Department is the front-line of our business; they are responsible for ensuring that we provide the best possible customer service experience to our clients and our clients’ customers.  This department is made up of Customer Service Professionals, Supervisors and Account Representatives; these team members each perform unique job functions but are closely integrated with each other.  Communication between team members is vital to the success of the entire Operations Department; department team members meet on a regular basis to develop new services for our clients, more efficient job procedures for our staff, and fun and inventive ways to keep our department enthusiastic and focused on providing excellent customer service.  Customer Service Professionals are the face of our business and deal with our clients’ customers directly.  They answer the phones, send emails, schedule appointments, take orders, provide instructions or guidance to callers and much more.  This team of 50 agents rely on each other to meet and maintain the expectations of our clients; they are solely responsible for the “AnswerFirst Experience.”  Supervisors manage our Customer Service Professionals and deal directly with clients when issues arise; they are also responsible for more complex account handling tasks and serve as leaders in the Operations Department. Our Account Representatives work with new clients to configure their accounts and assist them and their businesses with transitioning to AnswerFirst.  The entire Operations Department enjoys a fun family atmosphere while still meeting and maintaining the service level expected from our clients and their customers.  Operations works with all of the other managerial departments to refine the services that we offer and to implement new services.  Operations relies on IT to provide them with new and more efficient technologies and a secure and reliable infrastructure.  Operations also works with the Sales Department in transitioning new clients to AnswerFirst in a smooth and prompt manner.  The Operations Department is the core of AnswerFirst because this department provides the service that is AnswerFirst; without our Operations Department there is no service to offer our clients.

“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” -Aristotle  

For more information about AnswerFirst's answering services and call center solutions, please visit our wesbite http://www.answerfirst.com or call us at 1-800-645-2616

Answering Service Blair Witch Project Parody : Happy Halloween from AnswerFirst

AnswerFirst provides answering services and call center solutions to more than 1400 companies around the globe but what sets AnswerFirst apart from other services? Our call center is staffed with U.S. agents 24/7/365 and a manager onsite at all times so that our clients receive the same level of service that we provide their callers. We hope you enjoy this Blair Witch Project Parody about our call center (by Vivienne Brown http://www.VivienneBrown.com) Happy Halloween from AnswerFirst! http://www.answerfirst.com 1-800-645-2616

AnswerFirst Answering Services Booth at the Florida Bar Midyear Meeting in Orlando

AnswerFirst Answerin Services Booth at the Florida Bar Midyear Meeting in Orlando, a photo by AnswerFirst on Flickr.

AnswerFirst Communications is currently attending the Florida Bar Midyear Meeting at the Walt Disney World Resort Hilton in Orlando, Florida.

The organized bar in Florida began in 1889 with a small group of lawyers but officially became the Florida Bar in April of 1950. Today, the bar is a statewide professional organization of lawyers that serves as a guardian for the integrity of the legal profession; the Bar also serves an advocate and intermediary for attorneys, the court and the public. The Midyear Bar Meeting is an annual gathering of bar members including lawyers, judges and other legal professionals; the event provides committees, bar members and sections an opportunity to meet midyear to carry out goals, while also serving as a networking and educational environment for members and other attendees. AnswerFirst is attending the 2011 Florida Midyear Bar Meeting as an exhibitor with the intention of marketing their answering services to the hundreds of attorneys at the meeting.

Teri Erickson, Business Development Coordinator at AnswerFirst said, “Legal professionals are a large part of our client base because our services are a perfect fit for their business models; we help their businesses run more efficiently while reducing their operating costs. The Florida Bar Midyear Meeting is the second largest bar-wide meeting and our attendance provides us with the opportunity to introduce our company and services to more than 1,000 attorneys and legal professionals.”

AnswerFirst Communications, Inc. is based in Tampa, FL and provides answering services, virtual receptionist and call center solutions to more than 1400 customers around the globe. For more information about AnswerFirst's answering service and call center solutions please visit their website or call Teri Erickson at 1-800-645-2616.